{Frankie Miller- you won the Tobbles giveaway! I will be in touch with you soon!}
Last weekend was our second annual Hot Chocolate Bar and Christmas Movie. We began this tradition last year after I saw oh so many cute Pinterest photos of Hot Chocolate Bars with all sorts of toppings lined up. It looked like so much fun and so easy to do.
So many of these traditions are about anticipation and memories. This tradition is really, just hot chocolate and a movie. Those are not once-a-year occurrences in our house. The magic comes in the presentation. The anticipation. 
Put the date on the calendar. Count down the days. Gather the supplies together. Make it look and feel special.
You’ve heard the saying, “the devil’s in the details”? When it comes to traditions and delighting our children, I believe: “the magic is in the details”.
Isn’t it amazing how sprinkles make everything better?
This year we watched Elf, a movie that was new to all of us. It definitely had its funny parts, but I can’t say I’d want to watch it again. I much preferred last year’s Jingle All the Way. Both years I have purposely sought out humorous movies. I didn’t want anything heavy. I simply wanted a night of fun. A night together with my family. A night of new memories.
Mission accomplished until 2014.
You can read about our 2012 Hot Chocolate Bar and Christmas Movie here.
A lot of people LOVE Elf but I just didn’t care for it. I’m an unabashed fan of hot chocolate, though!
Some other movie suggestions: The Preacher’s Wife, about a minister who becomes discouraged about making a difference in his struggling inner-city parish, with Whitney Houston as his choir-leader wife (who sings some sublime gospel) and Denzel Washington as the angel who comes to help them. A wonderful movie, although maybe a bit slow for little ones. And The Snowman, an animated short movie with very little dialogue but sublime animation and music about a boy who makes a snowman who comes alive and takes him adventuring in England and to the North Pole, where they meet You Know Who and go to a snowmen’s dance. Of course, there’s the original How the Grinch Stole Christmas, about 30 minutes long, funny, and touching, with the classic song “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” Bonus: narrated by Boris Karloff!
I don’t much care for any Will Ferrell movie….just not my type of humor…..but, love the hot chocolate bar idea…..
Tara
I love this idea! We will have to do it when our daughter gets home next week. We love watching Christmas movies together. Watched The Miracle of Jonathan Toomey last night… one of our favorites!
We have hot cocoa with candy canes when we decorate the tree. On the 23rd of December, we stay up as late as we can watching as many Christmas movies as we can. One by one, the kids fall asleep on the couches and floor until it’s just me and my 11yo and Jimmy Stewart. I wake them all up REALLY early so they are sleep deprived and fall asleep faster on the 24th. But this year I must include a cocoa bar. Whipped cream and sprinkles? Oh, yes!!!
Some of our favorite Christmas movies are – Arthur Christmas (such a great movie with wonderful little lessons in it my children love it!) and Rise of the Guardians (not a completely Christmas movie but loved none the less) and Prancer 🙂 Sounds like a fun day!
When your little kiddos are older, Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a good one.
It is with Steve Martin
Jack Frost with Michael Keaton is a good one IMO. I didn’t care for Elf at all.
I LOVE Elf! We watch it multiple times in a given Christmas season and quote it throughout the year…”Have you seen these toilets? They’re GINORMOUS!” “Oooh…he’s an angry elf.”
For funny movies…what about The Santa Clause or Home Alone?
I don’t care for Will Ferrel, but we always watch The Nativity (serious), A Christmas Carol (with George C. Scott), The Grinch, and It’s a Wonderful Life. We also like A Charlie Brown Christmas and the Little Drummer boy (both short films). Somebody said Max Lucado’s Christmas Candle is very good. Looking forward to our first annual Hot Chocolate Bar next week! Thanks so much for the tips!
Oh, hooray for winning! Thank you! I will watch for your e-mail. Once in a while, I let the kids have hot cocoa for breakfast. They love those mornings!
I can’t help it. I love Elf. I frequently answer my phone with “Buddy the Elf. What’s your favourite colour?” during the holidays. Ok, only when my sister calls. But it never gets old. Never. Although I enjoy it on my own without the kids — too many questions about why he gets so happy drinking maple syrup in the mail room… 😉
What a great idea! I love adding these special little things to our family nights. We do homemade hot chocolate all the time during the winter, but adding the sprinkles, whip cream and small extra touches…what a great memory maker!
Hello, this doesn’t have much to do with the hot chocolate bar, however that is very very cute. I was wondering what type of website or blog you use for this site. I am looking to create a site(kind of similar to yours) that I could use for selling stuff for and or blogging about teen missions trips. Thanks so much! God bless:)
-Sam